Combined rack and serving tray



. L. F. BAX.

COMBINED BACK AND SERVING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. 19!?- I Patented June 3,1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET l a. L 4 r 33 32 I I 1o 7 I a 1* 7 m 1| Z@ a 47W 1?: I.

INVENTOR L. F. BAX.

COMBINED RACK AND SERVING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 22, I917- Patehted June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY s v. Fnomuma. WASHINGYON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ournos.

LESLIE F. BAX, OF LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED BACK AND SERVING-TRAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE F. BAX, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Racks and Serving-Trays, of which the following is a specification. I i

This invention has relation to racks for serving trays, and has for an object to provide a combined rack and serving tray designed especially for use 'in sick rooms, hospitals, or the like embodying means for supporting cloths, towels, etc., and an extensible tray adapted to extend over the bed to support various articles.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a combined rack and serving tray for the purpose above set forth in which the rack is formed in a manner to permit its extension to support-the articles or permit the collapse of the same whereby to reduce the bulk of the device to permit transportation, and a tray movable from a position in compact relation to the device, to an extended position for use. 7

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined rack and serving tray which is extremely simple in construction, permitting its manufacture at a reduced cost.

In addition to the foregoing my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claim. In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding parts are desig nated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear:

Figure '1, is a view in side elevation of a combined rack and serving tray con- J structed in accordance with my invention illustrating the tray in an extended position.

Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the rack in extended position and the tray in a collapsed position.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary view in plan partly broken away of the rack portion of my invention.

Fig. 4, is a horizontal section taken on the line 4:4: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5, is a detailed view in section il- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented une 3, 1919.

Application filed. 0ct0ber 22, 1917. 7 Serial No. 197,981.

' lustrating the supporting means for the plan of the serving trating the connection between one of the supporting members of the rack and the main support therefor.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indicates a center post or standard which'may be of tubular material if desired, mounted in a base'which comprises a socket member 11 designed to receive the lower end of the standard and having a plurality of downwardly diverging legs 12.

Mounted on the standard is a collar 13 having its upper end reduced to form a shoulder 14 to form a seat for a collar 15 which encircles the reduced portion of the collar 13. A set screw 16 is threadedly engaged in the collar 13 to engage the standard to retain said collar in any vertically adjusted position thereon, and the collar 15 is provided with a set screw 17 which engages the reduced portion of the collar 13 to lock said collars together against relative rotation. The collar 15 is provided with a pair of parallel, horizontal arms 18 in spaced relation, connected at their outer ends by means of a transversely extending pin 19. adjacent the point of connection thereof with the collar 15 is provided'with a notch 20 which notches are in transverse alinement. A tray indicated at 21 is mounted on one end of a bar 22 which bar is extended at its other end through the space between the arms 18, and in a folded position of. the serving tray, said .tray is designed to rest upon its edge upon the bars 18 as shown in Fig. 2 with the bar 22 disposed in a dependedposition. The end of the bar 22 opposite the end supporting the tray 21 is provided with a transversely extending strip 23 which projects beyond the longitudinal edges of the bar and is of a siz to engage in the notches 20.

In this manner, when it is desired to extend the tray the same is raised and the bar 22 disposed in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 and the ends of the strip 23 engaged in the notches 20,0f the bars 18 whereby the bar is supported upon a transversely extending strip 19 and is locked in position by the engagement of the ends of said strip 23 in the notches as aforesaid.

'The under side of each arm 18 The tray may be held in a collapsed position by means of a hook member 2 which is pivotally mounted upon the tray and is designed to engage around the standard 10 as shown in Fig. 2.

The rack feature of my invention consists of a disk 25 mounted upon the upper end of the standard centrally of the disk, said disk having a plurality of radial peripheral notches, 26 formed therein. 0pposite sides of each notch 26 is formed with recesses 27 which extend from the top surface of the disk to a point half way through the thickness thereof. A pluralityof arms 28 are provided, each arm having at ad: jacent ends a pin 29 which projects beyond opposite sides of the barsand which pins are designed to enter the recesses 27 when said ends of the bars 28 are insertedin the recesses 26 of the disk 25 as shown in Fig. 3. To prevent displacement of'the ends of the bars 28 from within the recess 26, a disk 80 is secured by means of screws 31 to the top of the disk 25. I

It will thus be seen that'the arms 28 are pivotally mounted for movement from a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, to

a depending position shown in Fig. 1.

In order that the arms may be adjusted in the manner set fortha collar 32 is mounted upon the rod 10 for vertical adjustment, said collar having a fiange33 at its upper end and which flange is formed withperipheral recesses to receive'the lower ends of links 34. The links 34 are pivotally mounted in the recesses and the'upper ends of the links are pivoted each, to one of the arms 2 8as indicated at 35. Thus, by moving the collar 32 up or down upon the standard, the arms 28 are moved from an extended to a collapsed position somewhat after the manner of the ribs of an umbrella. I To retain the arms in extended position a fastener or catch 36 similar to the fastener of an umbrella is provided to engage beneath the collar 32 when the same is in a raised position as shown in Fig. 2.

Thus it will be apparent that I have provided a novel article of furniture designed particularly for sick rooms, hospitals, etc.

tended over the bed of the patient.

and can be utilized to serve food to the patient, inasmuch as the tray 21 may be eX- The article is also useful to assist in the performance of surgical operations inasmuch as the tray 21 may serve as a support for the instrument, and the arms 28 when extended may serve as a support for towels, cloths, or other paraphernalia. The tray 21 may be swung from a-position over the bed to a position to one side thereof by loosening the set screw 17 without disturbing the position of the article as a whole. Other advantages will become readily apparent and will suggest themselves as the use thereof is better understood.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations may be made, and I therefore desire to reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of'the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement ofthe correlative parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the appended claim.

V Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is -r I A device of the character described comprising a standard,- a collar adjustably mounted on the standard and provided with ared'uced extension onthe upper face, a second collar adjustable on thereduced extension of the first collar, a pair of spaced arms extending laterally from the second collar and each of said "arms having a notch formed-in the underside, a tray, an arm for supporting the tray, fingers extending from each side of the arm and adapted to be received in the notches in the spaced arms, and a bar connecting the outer ends of the spaced arms and adapted to receive the tray supporting arm when in horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses. I j

v LESLIE F. BAX.

\Vitnesses:

JESSE LoUIs GARRETT, BELTON Soorr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner. of Patents, -Wa'shington, D. '0. 

